Serie B has been put on hold by the regional administrative court (TAR) of Lazio over a dispute regarding the number of teams that should be involved, the president of the high court of sports justice for the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) has announced.
The division began the current season with 19 clubs participating instead of the usual 22 as Avellino, Bari, and Cesena were forcibly relegated to Serie D after going bankrupt. The league elected not to replace those clubs, a decision which has been met with acrimony from both clubs and the league's broadcasters.
Official protests from clubs including Siena, Novara, Catania, and Ternana were rejected by CONI, but appeals chief Franco Frattini has now revealed the Lazio TAR's ruling to uphold the appeal of Pro Vercelli means the entire division has been halted pending a resolution to the debacle.
"The new fact is the Lazio TAR, as well as suspending the sentence, has also suspended the league," Frattini told inBlu Radio, as reported by ESPN. "It is clear that, while we wait until the result of TAR's order on Oct. 9, until then, it will not be possible to play in Serie B.
"And this appears impossible to me given the sporting passion of millions of fans. Therefore, on Friday, Sept. 21, the board Guarantee Committee will re-examine the idea of a whole new composition. The Committee will decide whether Serie B should be 22 or 19 teams. If we decide there should be 22, next Monday (Sept. 24), we shall decide which three out of the six teams will be brought in. We don't engage in sporting politics but look at the standards."
Three rounds of matches have already taken place in Serie B this season. Last season's relegated foursome of Novara, Pro Vercelli, Ternana, and Virtus Entella, and Serie C promotion playoff losers Siena, Catania, and Sudtirol will all likely hope to be in contention for promotion should the ruling require the league's re-expansion to 22 teams.
